Chemical Science. — 171 
phate, nitrate, muriate, and acetate, and is believed to belong to 
all the salts. It has been remarked by M. Collaud and others, 
that the sulphate of quina is also volatile, and M. Ferrari, on re- 
peating the experiments with the muriate and nitrate of quina, 
found it also to happen with them. The solutions on being heated 
in a tinned copper vessel, gave out vapours which when breathed, 
were found to be highly bitter, The salts vary in the extent of 
this property, and it is also affected by the degree of acidity, and 
of concentration of the solution.—Gior. de Fisica, vi. 460. 
_. 27. Acid Tartaro-Sulphate of Potash.—Il Sig. M. Fabroni says 
that sulphuric acid being boiled with thrice its weight of water, 
and cream of tartar in excess, gives a fluid, which after having 
been evaporated, cooled, and allowed to deposit undecomposed 
tartar, sulphate of potash, &c., will not furnish any other deposit, 
and resembles oil in its appearance. When further evaporated to 
the consistence of syrup, and again cooled, it solidified in a mass 
composed of imperfect prismatic crystals, and which when dry, 
had something of the appearance of camphor. It dissolves rapidly 
in water, but in alcohol yields its tartaric acid, and acid sulphate 
of potash is left. On analysis it gave seventy-two tartaric acid, 
and twenty-eight acid sulphate of potash. M. Fabroni thinks that 
for many uses this salt may be a cheap and effectual substitute for 
tartaric acid. He considers it as analogous in its nature to the 
compound of tartar and boracic acid. Gvor. de Fisica, vi. 452. 
28. Pyroligneous Ether, or Pyroxilic Spirit.—A brief description 
is given* at p. 436, vol. xiv, of this Journal, of a substance ob- 
tained by Mr. P. Taylor, first in 1812, and at various times since 
then, from the distillation of wood. M. Taylor called it pyrolig- 
neous ether. Latterly this substance has been re-examined with 
‘great care, by MM. Macaire and Marcet, of Geneva, who have 
called it pyroxilic spirit, in their paper upon it, published in the 
Bibliotheque Universelle. The following is a brief account of their 
observations. The fluid is transparent, colourless, of a strong 
ethereal odour slightly resembling that of ants. Its taste is hot 
and strong, leaving an impression on the tongue like that of essence 
of mint: its specific gravity .828. It boils at about 150° F. Its 
slightly acid properties appear to be due to a little acetic acid. 
‘It burns away entirely with a perfectly blue flame. Alcohol 
dissolves it in all proportions, but water separates it again. With 
water only, it forms a sort of emulsion, which is of considerable 
permanence. It does not dissolve in oil of turpentine. It dis- 
solves camphor, but not oil of olives either hot or cold. It also 
dissolves pure potash. 
Heated with its volume of sulphuric acid, it distils over un~ 
cs  »* Fromthe Phil, Mag, Lx. 315, 
